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Tales Of Morveria: Frigid Pink, Episode 1

From the Lonely Abyss of the Arctic, Two Beast Folk Rediscover Themselves

By Mantrid Brizon

(Written during the full moon of September, 2022)

The female Vostii of the wolf-kin stares into the dancing flames. Her narrowed eyes, like pale topaz, look through the burning of the fire and onto the agony within. The soft crackling as a log bursts open is hardly the comfort it once was, for she is without a tribe. The young adult turns hear head, the harsh northern wind fluttering her wolfen mane. It's swept back and wild, like the wilderness around her; it shares the light brown color of much of her fur. Snow-white fur runs across her body like the ice and snow of the southern mountain peaks, and dark brown swishes, which matches the color of her womanly parts, adds to her wintery appearance.

Her fur is thick but soft and quite lofty, helping to retain heat. Despite this, the Vostii are not impervious to the elements; simple clothing of animal hide and fur helps to shield her from the biting wind and the stinging icicles that appear perpetually suspended in the air. A chill sends a shiver down her spine, though she does her best to conceal it. She's too angry, too eager to show her displeasure to the male seated beside her. He turns his head and their eyes lock. His are much darker, their yellow hue like a pair of golden zakians. They're darkness is only matched by their intensity, which reveals the dichotomy in his soul.

The male Vostii, also of the wolf-kin, shares many of her features, and as her half-brother, born of the same father but a different mother, that's to be expected. His snow-white fur, which covers the majority of his body, is as fluffy and soft as hers, while slate gray fur, like the stone that comprises the southern mountains, covers his front; it runs from his chin, along his neck, over his chest and all the way down to his groin and inner thighs, ending beneath his bushy tail. Like many Vostii of their tribe, he uses a stone blade to cut his white hair extremely short, accentuating the canine shape of his head.

The half-siblings stare at each other for a long while. It's as if the world has stood still; the only thing that proves the passing of time are the sounds of the fire and the bouncing beams of amber light in the darkness.

"What?" The male finally speaks.

"Nothing..." She grumbles, turning her eyes away.

As beast folk from the north, inhabitants of the arctic region of Ledan, they speak the same language as the Yasheriit, the furless and tailless ones who call themselves "humans." The Hitrosii long ago abandoned that region, if they'd ever conquered it to begin with; millennia of contact with humans has ensured that no tribe in Ledan speaks Ancient Hitrosii, like the many millions of beast folk who live in the southern regions.

"It [is] never nothing... I know you, Sakina. You [are] my sister."

"Half-sister, Kyron! And not [the] good half, either!" Sakina snaps.

"I [am] sorry..."

Sakina rolls her eyes, crossing her arms beneath her ample bust as she turns her head away.

"How... How [did] you bring this upon us? Upon me?! What [did] I do to deserve this?!" She barks at the sky.

A deathly silence befalls the siblings and Kyron turns his weary eyes toward the flames. His softened gaze becomes cold, and his heart, which only moments earlier felt guilty for the fate that has befallen his sister, begins to harden. As he looks toward the fire, he feels the anger rising from deep within him. It's mixed with an agony unlike any other, the pain of a man whose fate is no longer in his own hands.

"You know..."

Sakina turns her eyes toward her brother, only for her scowl to soften and eventually fade entirely. She glances at the fire before turning her eyes toward the night sky, where the two moons of Morveria shine brightly. It was only a day ago when she would've taken in this view from the safety and comfort of their tribal lands, leaning against a wooden dwelling crafted for longevity. Belonging is one of the most important things to her kind, feeling a sense of purpose that comes from the collective; honor, duty, respect and most important of all, stability and safety.

To be alone, exiled, is perhaps the worst punishment that can befall such socially oriented creatures, and yet that wasn't even to be their fate. Had they not fled into the tundra, they'd be dead...

"Where [is] my beautiful bride?" The warrior said to the Chieftain, who had promised his eldest daughter to the man.

"She wait for you in my home." The Chieftain smiled.

Many tribes have different practices; some mate openly and freely, even copulating in public like common animals. This is a practice seen from the tribes of the east. Alternatively, others are more reserved and mate with selectively chosen partners, in huts designated for the task or in private dwellings. This is a common practice of the tribes of western and central Morveria. The tribe of the northern wolves is unique in many ways, especially with regard to mating and marriage customs.

As the leader, the Chieftain claims his brides and breeds with them as frequently as he is able. Social hierarchy rules their daily lives and status is of the utmost importance; as the Chieftain, he is the male of highest status and therefore the most desired. He enjoys certain privileges. One of these is that the rest of the pack are bonded to their individual partners, and only through his authority. Pairings are granted by status, and high-status males earn females who are born to their nobility, the daughters of the Chieftain. All others are beneath them.

Kyron and Sakina are somewhat unique in that their father was a warrior who took two brides. Typically, this would be forbidden. However, as a close friend of the current Chieftain's father, a loyal bodyguard to the former Chieftain even after his recent retirement, their father's adulterousness was pardoned by bonding him to the second female, a low-status woman with no surviving family. She was Kyron's mother. It was an unconventional relationship that Sakina's mother, their father's first wife, greatly resented, and the strain on their family was evident.

It was no surprise then when Kyron, hardened from years of emotional abuse and neglect at the hands of Sakina's mother, sought to become one of the warrior class. He was a loyal member of the tribe, followed every rule and gave respect to his leader. In spite of his efforts, his athletic form and his intelligence, which is significant, he couldn't shake off the stigma of his birth and so he was not raised in rank as quickly as the others. This did not stop him from catching the eye of females, one of whom being the Chieftain's eldest daughter...

When the Chieftain's first daughter saw him, standing amongst the horde of her many siblings, their eyes locked. Their gaze spoke volumes, and it wasn't long before they began meeting in secret. She knew the risks, knew how dangerous it was, but she found in Kyron something that no one else had given her. Love. Kyron was stern and gruff with everyone, except her. With her he proved to be gentle, conscientious, even funny. It made it easy to carry on the secret relationship, which inevitably blossomed into something that could no longer be hidden.

Stepping into his own home much earlier than expected, the Chieftain and the warrior heard the sounds of passion and followed them to her bed chamber. They stared in horror as his daughter, Lyra, committed a most heinous crime. There she was, on her hands and knees atop a rug made of polar bear hide, mating with a male she did not belong to. Technically, she did not yet belong to any male, but that is still forbidden; in their tribe, none may mate without bonded partners. Kneeling behind her, Kyron was at the end of the rug, and the end of a climax; he was fused to his lover by the bulbous knot at the base of his manhood.

"Father?!" Lyra gasped. "Ahh!!!" She winced as her lover finished.

"What [is] this?!" The warrior exclaimed in shock.

"How dare you defile my daughter!" The Chieftain roared.

Kyron struggled to withdrawal from Lyra's loins, which stretched over his endowment and refused to release him. It wasn't until her father stormed up to him a few seconds later when he was finally able to pull free; the sound of his manhood popping out of Lyra's tainted loins caused her father to pause and a snarl to form on the face of the warrior she was meant to bond with. They knew they'd mated, but to see_the jet-black flesh of Kyron's considerable manhood, to _hear the splattering of his seed spilling from Lyra's nethers and onto the wooden floor beside the rug; that was something else entirely.

Kyron rose to his feet and tried to explain, one hand raised in surrender and the other making a feeble attempt to conceal his rather impressive phallus. With the engorged knot centered beneath his wrist, the tip protrudes just beyond the claws which crown his long fingers. The Chieftain was in no mood to listen, as he'd already promised Lyra to the strongest warrior, and her prospective mate was equally vexed. She is tainted; by tribal law, she can no longer be given to her betrothed. How dare this warrior of the lowest class defile his daughter! Lyra tried her best to calm her father, who lunged at Kyron as he collected his clothes from the floor.

With a diving roll, Kyron easily outmaneuvered the somewhat portly older male and made his way for the door. He stopped only to grab Lyra's wrist, refusing to leave her behind. Her father yelled for his bodyguards, who came post-haste. They were joined by the jilted warrior. Lyra was positive she could speak with her father and refused to fight, despite all of the females of their tribe being capable hunters and warriors in their own right. Lyra was sadly mistaken. Though she begged and pleaded, her father would not listen and had her dragged into the public square.

To the horror of everyone, even the warrior whom she'd betrayed with her lust, the Chieftain drew his ceremonial blade, grabbed Lyra's hair, yanked her head back and pulled the stone edge across her throat. Kyron cried out in vain, watching as his beloved was slain in front of the entire tribe. The Chieftain released her hair, dropping Lyra's body to the ground as if she were little more than a slain reindeer. Kyron stared in shock and horror as the blood pooled at his feet. He couldn't fathom such a cruel act. It's true that he has many children; he has over a dozen daughters, not including Lyra, but to kill his eldest so quickly and so coldly! Kyron felt his heart break in two.

"None mate without my authority! None bond without my word! Lyra broke our rules! Lyra betrayed [the] male who had claim! She rebel[led]! This [is the] fate of rebels..."

The Chieftain turned away from his six wives, three of whom had covered their gaping maws with their clawed hands, and a forth who wept; it was her daughter lying dead in the snow.

"You, Kyron... You [are] next..."

Perhaps it was the anger or perhaps it was the grief; something inside Kyron snapped. He found a strength he'd never known and somehow managed to pull the two men who held him. He yanked them so roughly that they slammed into each other, only to use his own claws to slash the snout and eye of a third, before leaping at the Chieftain, throwing the portly older male to the ground and springing from his chest! His pained groan was music to Kyron's ears. He raced from the crowd, half of whom did not know what to do. The other half took action, helping their Chieftain.

"Catch him!!!"

It wasn't until their leader spoke the words that the chase truly began. Kyron ran as fast as he could, fleeing with only the clothes on his back. He moved through the forest, eager to find the frigid river to mask his scent. For Vostii like his kinfolk, tracking is a simple matter. With such heightened senses, it's hard to evade anyone of the beast folk; even the docile Korutan, the hooved beast folk, can smell and hear far better than any human. He somehow managed to outrun his pursuers, and it wasn't long before Kyron found the river.

He dove into the water that reached to his mid-section. He sloshed through the flowing waters while trying not to yelp at the chill, moving along the bank as he listened for the sounds of his kinfolk. They came closer and closer, but Kyron is a swift one and managed to turn a corner and hide behind a rock before they could emerge from the forest and see him. They sniffed the air but lost his scent at the water's edge. For reasons unknown to him, they stayed together and walked in the opposite direction from where he'd hidden himself. What luck!

After waiting until he could no longer hear them, just when the chill of the icy water began to make him shiver uncontrollably, Kyron pulled himself up the bank and made his way back to his village. He knew he could not talk his way out of this, nor was he going to try; he needed supplies and there was only one place he could go. Working his way back, he kept an eye out for the hunters and foragers, the only people who, hopefully, wouldn't be aware of his new status as a fugitive. They could be coerced if not outright dispatched.

He did his best to avoid detection, though it was made easier as everyone appeared to be searching for him; the village was void of life. Creeping quietly and hoping that no one would distinguish his tracks in the snow from the other villagers, he approached a humble dwelling on the outskirts of their town. The little wooden cabin with a thatch roof insulated with old pine needles belonged to the only person he could still trust, his half-sister, Sakina. He couldn't risk knocking and alerting anyone, as strong as their hearing is, and so he committed a crime by entering without permission. He almost chuckled. He never willfully broke a law until he became a fugitive.

To his combined delight and horror, Sakina's home was empty! She'd always been a skilled hunter and performed that job admirably for their people. Perhaps she was off on a hunt? Unable to do anything else, Kyron stripped naked and set fire to the logs in her fire pit. He moved about the small home, collecting supplies whilst his fur dried in the warmth of the central fire. When he was dry and had collected food, a water bladder and other tools necessary for survival, he prepared to leave.

It hurt him to think that he'd been forced to rob his own sister, unable to do so much as tell her what was going on, but he had no choice. Just as he made his way for the door, it suddenly swung open. Sakina entered, dragging a portion of a fresh reindeer carcass behind her. She looked back at the leg of the reindeer and gave it a yank, pulling the mutilated carcass over the threshold, only to turn toward her brother and gasp.

"Kyron! You startle[d] me!" She chuckled.

"SHH! [Are] you alone?"

"Yes. I live alone, remember? ... What [is] wrong?" Sakina's brow furled with concern.

He looked to her and paused, the guilt sinking in. Sakina has always been an unusual female. She'd never taken a mate; no male could claim to have mated with her, nor did she show a desire to have a partner. Many simply assumed that she had no desire at all, and would age and die without a family, a terrifying thought for most. At nineteen-years-old, she's one of the few females her age who still lives alone and without children, in a modest dwelling constructed by the many snubbed males of their tribe. It's the perfect place to hide, but now she's seen him and he may have very well brought ruin upon her.

"Kyron? [Are] you alright?" Sakina stepped closer, dropping the reindeer leg and reaching out for him.

"No!" He exclaims, before catching himself. "You must not touch me. I cannot leave my scent on you." He whispers.

"What? Why?!"

"SHH! ... I [am] in trouble. I was bad and now I must leave."

"For where?!" She gasped.

"I [do] not know, but I must leave before anyone see us togeth-"

"There he is!" A warrior outside shouted.

"Sakina protects him! Take her!" Another roared.

Kyron knew that this would not end well, and with his sister frozen in shock, he did the only thing he could do.

"RUN!!!"

Grabbing her wrist, he dragged her away from her own house, leaving everything behind. All that they had was in a satchel around his body, filled with supplies he'd stolen, supplies to last one person for only a day or two. The warriors gave chase, but Kyron was determined. To the further shock of his sister, Kyron turned back and threw a stone dagger, which whirled through the air before finding its place in the bicep of one of their kinsmen!

"Kyron! What [is] happen[ing]?!" Sakina demanded, running alongside her murderous brother.

"I [will] explain, later! First, we must flee!"

Once again, Kyron led them back to the river. However, this time the others had realized their error and stood guard. Trapped between two groups of warriors, Sakina turned to Kyron, confused and terrified. She had no idea why their own tribe wanted them captured or killed, and he had no time to tell her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the south, toward the only obstacle he knew they could use, the only place their kinsmen wouldn't follow them.

"Kyron! Where [are] we go[ing]?!"

"South!"

"SOUTH?! But-"

"I know!"

"Kyron?!"

"Stop talking and keep running!" He roared.

Sakina obeyed. What else could she do?! She was now in as much trouble as him. They ran as fast as they could, at one point seeing a spear flying between them. The warriors' aim was terrible, given their exhaustion and the fact that they were in full sprint. Still, it proved to the duo that they had no other choice; they will escape or die. Making their way south, Kyron led Sakina and their pursuers toward a steep cliff, the edge of the arctic plateau. It did not have a sheer drop but a steeply sloping face. None traveled down it, for few knew if they could ever return home from below. Fear is a powerful deterrent.

"Kyron?!" Sakina whimpered, seeing the cliff rapidly approaching.

"Down! They [will] not follow!" He insisted.

"Down?! [Are] you craz-EEE!!!"

Sakina shrieked as he pushed her, falling onto her front before rolling over and turning one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. With her feet now in front of her, she tried her best to slow her descent but it was no use. They slid along the icy slope on their animal hide clothes, Sakina's long tunic and Kyron's bulky trousers. As he'd suspected, the other warriors immediately stopped, and while two threw spears at them, they missed by miles. Down, down, down they slid, moving over the bumpy surface of the icy and snowy ground for such a distance that their ears popped

Their clothes began to wear, and Kyron was certain he felt ice coming through a hole. They eventually reached the bottom, landing on their feet and springing from their digitigrade ankles by the power of their inertia. They landed in slush at the bottom of the cliff, many hundreds of feet below. They lay there for some time, shivering not from the cold but from fear and shock. Finally, Sakina pushed herself up, clumps of half-frozen snow and ice falling from her face, mane and clothing. She shivered, shaking off the solidified water and creating a mist of white all around her. She looked back, just as Kyron opened his eyes.

"Kyron! Look!" She pointed.

Lifting his head before twisting his upper body, he glanced back and stared with wide eyes and a gaping maw. The top of the cliff is so high that a cloud passes by, blocking their view of it. Kyron pushed himself to his feet, his legs shaking, only to pat himself and find that he had indeed wore a hole through the back of his pants. He poked a claw through and accidentally jabbed himself in the buttocks. Two layers of bear hide was no match for the cliff, but thankfully he did not lose any flesh or fur from his ass. Sakina saw this and couldn't help but giggle, only to whimper when she saw that the back of her own tunic had also worn through. Luckily, her hide undergarment, lined with flax for comfort, didn't tear.

"What happen[ed]?!" She finally asked.

With a heavy sigh, Kyron leaned against the nearest boulder, slid down until his bare ass sat upon the cold dirt and began his story. She sat in silence, first shocked, then horrified, and then angry. She was shocked that Kyron would risk his life and the life of his beloved by going against their laws and Lyra's father, their Chieftain. Her shock turned to horror when she learned that Lyra's own father would sacrifice her to send a message. She knows that the punishment for such crimes is to be erased; Lyra will not even receive a burial, but be burned in a random pit in the forest, and without mourning stones to mark the site of her bones. This horror then evolved once again.

"Why [did] you lead them to my_house?! Why involve _me in this?! That [was] your problem, not mine!"

It was selfish and she knew it, but in that moment she didn't care. Why did Kyron have to bring this upon her?! She may not have had the comfort of a partner or a nice home or even many friends, but she liked her life, and now everything has changed! To any who knew them before, this reaction wouldn't be surprising. Their relationship has always been as distant as it is close, as cold as it is compassionate, and as strained as it is healthy. They hate each other as much as they love each other, and that feeling seemingly moves with the wind.

To those who know them well, this makes sense. Their difference in age is but mere months, not even a whole season. Their father was caught breeding Kyron's mother shortly after Sakina's mother, his first and true wife, discovered that she was with-child. Normally this would be a crime, but their father was a mighty warrior with several kills to his name, and had been protecting, and befriending, the reigning chieftain. Rather than punish his friend for claiming a second female, a privilege reserved for a noble wolf, he was instead bonded to both women.

Sakina and Kyron were therefore born under the same roof, to the same womanizing male who sought even more lovers whenever they're mothers were unavailable to him. He was rarely successful in these endeavors and became something of a tribal outcast, only further damaging their family. Sakina's mother had always resented Kyron's mother, blaming her and even Kyron for her mate's womanizing ways. She treated them both unkindly throughout the years, and it only became worse when other members of the tribe showed less respect for her and her mate; it was always Kyron's fault.

Her fixation was so great that she also neglected Sakina, who was more or less raised by Kyron's mother, a much kinder but temperamental female. Only she cared for the children, whenever she remembered; she was almost as indifferent to the little girl as she was to her own son, as she was too busy competing with her rival for her mate's affection. Their father might as well have been dead; he never helped raise them, and his passing two years earlier was merely a formality. They never had other siblings, and rumors abound that this was due to the stress between the rival women trapped in the highly unorthodox relationship.

Had he been a Chieftain with subordinates, bodyguards and the other luxuries of high-status, then perhaps it would've been a healthier home? This left the half-siblings to spend much of their time both helping and hating each other, being guided by the more forgiving and compassionate members of the tribe, who were few and far between. Perhaps it's for this reason that Sakina lives uncommonly, already nineteen-years-old and without a mate or children? She never felt a kinship with her own people, and lived on the edge of the village in order to avoid them, something highly unusual for beast folk, and especially a female.

Kyron took the opposite approach, going out of his way to prove himself as a warrior and to earn a place among their own tribe. He'd always tried so hard to fit in, going above and beyond his duties to claim whatever respect he possibly could, given the circumstances. It's behavior that's most commonly seen in females, who when faced with the possibility of living without a tribe often throw themselves at small groups or even lone males; they'll mate vigorously and work tirelessly, just for the hope of belonging to a household, let alone a proper tribe. Their seemingly-swapped behaviors only earned more ridicule; Kyron, the giver, and Sakina, the loner.

Sitting beside the fire, Sakina keeps her arms crossed as she grumbles. Kyron looks to her and feels a combination of anger, pity and remorse. Sakina, of all people, knows how hard they've had it! Why would she be mad at him for falling in love with a female?! Why would she deny him that little piece of happiness?! Still, she is now without a tribe, without a home and without food or even the most simple pleasures, and it is entirely his fault. He closes his eyes, drops his head and sighs.

"I [am] sorry..." He begins, speaking softly. "I [did] not desire to involve you. You return[ed] home at [a] bad time."

"That [is] one way to say it..." She scoffs.

"I promise, sister, I will fix [this]."

"How?"

"I [do] not know, but I will! ... I promise you, sister, I will not allow you to suffer from my error." He pledges.

"... [Did] you truly love her?" Sakina suddenly asks, her anger subsiding and replaced with pity.

"..."

"You [can] tell me." She nods. "I [do] not have anyone to share [your] secret with."

"Yes..." He speaks in a near whisper.

"Oh... I [am] sorry..."

Kyron sighs and then nods his head. After a moment of silence, he adds more wood to the fire, then rests atop his bed of pine boughs and does his best to sleep. They didn't have the strength to hunt or even forage but now that they're alone, they only have each other; their survival is in their hands, and tomorrow they must begin an arduous journey. Without any other tribes that they're aware of, and having slid down the face of the arctic plateau, Kyron decides that their best hope for survival is a warmer climate, with better access to food and fresh water.

He claims to know the way, and though she doubts her brother's intuition, she doesn't confront him with her suspicions. It's not her place to argue with the male who is now effectively the alpha of her tribe; Kyron is determined to travel south, and if she wants any companionship she must follow. They begin in the morning, only moments after Kyron comes up with his plan, and march toward the southern lands. Legend says that these lands are warm and hospitable, but only the Chieftain and his scouts have knowledge of the world far beyond their tribe.

They stop to drink from glacial streams and forage for berries and other wild edibles wherever and whenever they can, while using their primitive instincts to track and trap small game. Snowshoe hare and the occasional deer become their staples. They hunt deer with their bestial speed and strength, chasing them into corners so that Kyron or Sakina can leap upon and spear them. Many days pass. They have mended their primitive clothes and constructed portable bedrolls, and even sewn water bladders and satchels with the sinew of harvested animals. They continue their journey, walking daily until their footpads are sore and their backs ache.

With satchels of air-dried meat, for emergencies, and weapons made from the wood and stone of the forest around them, which has become increasingly dense and bountiful, Sakina begins to wonder if her doubts in Kyron were legitimate. He walks with confidence and seems unsurprised by every finding; it's as if he knows precisely where he is going. Living in this region does seem easier, and though it's still not easy, they're fairing well for only two people. The weather is even pleasant on most days! They seem to have everything they need, or almost everything...

After making camp one night, several weeks into their journey south, Kyron's ears shift. He cannot hear his sister, whom he'd assumed left camp to relieve herself. She rarely stays away for so long! Fearing the worst, he grabs a spear and sniffs the air. Finding her scent, he begins to follow her trail. He's surprised when he sees just how far she'd walked to pee! They don't truly know these forests, and the animals they have seen are smaller and faster than those in the north. Perhaps they are more dangerous, as well?

Just then, he hears a noise. His blood runs cold. Did Sakina groan in the distance? Is she in trouble?! He turns toward where he'd heard the sound and moves closer, spear in-hand. He hears another sound, this one more like a grunt. He images all of the ways that Sakina could be in danger. Perhaps she ran into the fabled quill-bear, the spiked beast that supposedly roams the southern forests? What about the Toulpa, the towering golems who blend in with the earth, stone and trees?! He gulps and feels himself growing anxious, even fearful.

He steps closer, moving as quietly as he can, just in case he must surprise the savage beast. The strange sounds continue and draw Kyron closer. He steps toward a tree and where the sounds appear to be coming from, but sees nothing. Just then, the noise changes and he furls his brow.

"Hhff-hhff, NNNHH!"

"Sakina?"

"Mmmm-yes..."

"Sakina? Hello?"

"Huh?! Hhff! G-go away. Hhff-hhff! I [am] busy."

Leaning around the tree, he looks to and fro but doesn't see his half-sister anywhere. Is this not where her voice came from?!

"Sakina? Where [are] you hide[ing]?"

"I said, nnhh, 'go away!'"

Turning toward her voice and looking down, he smirks and holds in a chuckle. Sakina's head pops up, poking out of a thick shrub, her pale-yellow eyes narrowed in frustration. One hand pushes the branches and leaves aside, while the other is decidedly hidden.

"[Are] you alright?" He asks.

"I [am] fine. Nnhh..." She sighs, her arm shifting as her unseen hand moves about. "N-now go away! Hhff-hhff! I [will] return, hhff, when I [am], NNHH, finished!" She growls, wincing from what is now obviously pleasure. "Ooohhh-yes..."

"[Are] you certain?" He laughs.

"Why [are] you still here?! HHFF! [Do] you want to watch?!" She barks, frustration and anger in her voice.

"If that [is] what you want, I could help." He teases.

"Ugh! You [are] my, nnhh, half-brother! I [will] not, hhff-hhff, act foolish like f-father."

With his brow still furled, Kyron leans a little closer to peer down the hole in the top of the shrub so that he may gaze upon her. Nudity is not something that often embarrasses the beast folk, even amongst family, but Sakina recoils only to fall backward. He can see where her hand is placed, her fingers hidden in a very particular orifice.

"G-go away!" She whines.

"I thought you [did] not like males." He remarks, scratching the side of his head.

"Of course I like males! I [am] female! Nnnn-I [did] not like, hhff, [the] males in-nnnNNN, hhff, our tribe. Hhff-hhff! They [did] not interest me. Ahh!" She answers, continuing to pleasure herself despite him watching.

"Huh..."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Kyron leaves his sister to finish her business, adding a few more logs to the fire and taking the opportunity to steal some food from her satchel. Sakina returns some time later, her body relaxed as she slumps against a tree only feet away from their fire. He can smell her fluids on her hand, and for a moment it reminds him of the scents of Lyra. She never notices the missing pieces of dried meat that Kyron had stolen and quickly falls asleep. Meanwhile, Kyron stares into the fire, silently mourning his lost love.

"How much longer?" She asks with a huff, walking alongside her brother the following afternoon.

"Not much longer..." He murmurs.

"But we [have] walk[ed] for [a] very long time! I only want to know! Please?! ... Kyron! ... How much longer?!"

"I [do] not know! Stop asking!" He barks in angery.

"Do you know where you [are] going?" She whines.

"Yes! ... Erm... Somewhat..." He mutters under his breath.

Sakina stops in her tracks, allowing Kyron a few more steps before he also stops and looks back at her.

"What?"

"You [are a] warrior! Warriors work with scouts and have knowledge of [the] world! How [do] you not know where we [are] going?!" She gasps.

Kyron chews on his bottom lip for a moment, realizing his mistake. He'd convinced her to follow him by misleading her; she thought he knew of a better place. He didn't have the heart to tell her that no one in their tribe truly knew what was beyond the plateau; only rumors by the nearest tribe gave him any hope of finding a better place and a new home. That tribe communicated regularly with an even more distant tribe, a group who call themselves "humans," a well-traveled yet reclusive group.

It was from this very distant tribe, whom he'd never encountered, where the rumor of bountiful lands in the south originated. Fear kept the wolves in their ancestral home, despite it's inhospitable nature.

"This place [is] better... Right?!" He nervously chuckles.

"UGH!!! ... I hate you." Sakina growls.

Sakina storms past her brother in anger, making her way further south. Kyron turns his head and watches her, perplexed, only to snap himself out of it and race to catch up.

"Where [are] you going?!"

"South! Apparently, it [is] better!" She snaps back.

"Wait! You [do] not know where you [are] going!"

"And you know?!" She growls.

"Allow me to lead!" He insists, reaching out and grabbing her arm.

"Why?!" She stops and turns to him, yanking her arm from his grasp. "You wish to lie more?! You enjoy being [the] Chieftain?!?! You [are just] like father!"

"..."

"I should not have listen[ed] to you! I should have return[ed] to [the] tribe and beg[ged] them for mer-"

The sudden snapping of a branch silences Sakina, and draws both of their attention...